


The Fallen Angel

by Quoyan_XI



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angels, Demon, Escape from Prison, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Modern AU, Petyr is the devil, Smut, angel - Freeform, city AU, haunted park, haunted statue, park
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-03-28 00:30:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13892427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quoyan_XI/pseuds/Quoyan_XI
Summary: Sansa has always been very unlucky with love. One summer, her friend Jeyne invites her to spend time with her in the city where she has been studying for a year. Convinced that she has nothing to lose, Sansa accepts and ends up discovering a mysterious man in the most unexpected way, just when she had lost all hope of feeling something again.





	1. The voice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [petyrbaaaeeelish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/petyrbaaaeeelish/gifts).



“Stop it! You’re rowing the wrong way!” Jeyne pounced from her seat and snatched the oars from her hands. The sudden splashing of the oars against the water splattered part of her clothes. Sansa looked annoyed at her new shoes and then to her friend.

“Sorry” Jeyne apologized in a low voice. Sansa dismissed it raising her hand.

“It’s fine, they’re just shoes. Besides, I’m sure that with this heat they’ll dry up soon” She finished the last word with a reassuring smile. Jeyne composed herself, relieved of her most recent mishap and resumed their activity moving the oars. The unrelenting July sun burn their skin while Jeyne skillfully avoided the other tourists that were cruising in their respective boats.

They had been nonstop all day, running around the city from top to bottom. Touring museums, eating in the most traditional places, making selfies in historical monuments. Sansa was not used to spending so much time walking around without rest, but she tolerated it for her friend’s sake. She had no choice but to, since the enthusiasm she had for showing the city where she had been studying for the last year was infectiously contagious.

“Look at the little ducklings!” Jeyne cooed. After wandering through the city for several hours they had ended up in a park pond, trying to elude the ever-present infernal heat of summer. Sansa watched the ducklings swim behind her mother, lined up one after the other. Several children were enthusiastically pointing and calling at them as Jeyne had done a mere moment ago. Her friend began to follow them with the boat as they slid near the shore; unaware of all the hustle and bustle they were responsible for.

They followed them closely until exhaustion dawned on them, making them change course towards the small pier to disembark. Sansa calmed down as soon as she reached firm ground. The subject of sailing on an unstable boat hadn’t been a great deal of fun and she wasn't thinking of repeating the experience soon.

Suffocated and exhausted they sat in the shade of a tree near the pond. Sansa sighed and closed her eyes. The trunk of the tree on which they rested still kept the morning coolness. Slowly, the humid environment tempered her body until Sansa felt like a normal person again.

"Are you meeting tonight with the boy from yesterday?" Sansa blinked a couple of times getting up. ‘ _The date’_ Jeyne's intervention had interrupted her slight drift into sleep. ‘ _Crap’_. If it weren’t for her friend, she would have completely forgotten. Maybe that wasn't a good sign.

“Yeah, we're meeting at the same bar” She honestly didn't know exactly what made her accept the boy's offer if she didn't want anything to happen _. ‘A small distraction in my monotonous life’._

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened to her. Sansa was no stranger to male attention. Many had tried, but none seemed to be the right one. Everyone tried to win her over with empty flattery and unnecessary shows of virility, thinking that what she most wanted in the world, was a capricious child who resorted to violence when he didn't get what he wanted. She was done with those relationships. Now she was just hoping to feel something, anything.

Jeyne chuckled nervously and turned to Sansa. “Great! Great! I'm so happy for you, I knew something would happen between the two of you from the beginning” Sansa refrained from rolling her eyes. She couldn't believe how her friend had not passed her 'fairytale' phase yet. Not everything was as romantic and idyllic as in the movies. The world behaved in different shades of gray, some brighter than others. Not all love stories had a happy ending.

_“Look at me…”_

A chill ran through her body paralyzing her at the spot. She quickly regained consciousness of her body and rose alarmed, searching in several directions confused. She strode around their spot trying to discover who had spoken to her.

“Sansa, are you okay?” Sansa disregarded her and took great strides around the trunk of the tree. There was no one there. _‘I must have imagined it’_. She shook her head as Jeyne stared at her in bewilderment.

“It's nothing. I thought I heard something”

“Well, then come on” Jeyne jumped off the floor. “We still have a lot to see” With this she took her hand in hers and dragged her to continue their walk. Tributaries of people led them through the park in small bursts. It was curious to see the range of people that flowed into such a busy place as this. Tourist groups mingled with couples and families walking. The most adventurous dared to skate with great difficulty, dodging the flocks of people on the burning asphalt. The park was bursting with life.

After buying a cold bottle of water, they reached a square where several streets converged.

_“Look…”_

_‘That voice again_ ’. It must have been the dehydration; She couldn't have listened to it in her mind, could she? Before she could turn to the voice, Jeyne grabbed her arm and dragged her through the crowd to a painter's stand at one end of the square.

“Look at the detail” Sansa nodded absentmindedly turning around. That's when she saw it. The sculpture rose compellingly in the center of the small square, on an octagonal pedestal flanked by gargoyles pouring water into a fountain.

Captivated, she stepped forward to better appreciate the unique figure. With the wings spread out, the angel leaned slightly backwards as if he were falling. His petrified expression cried out in agony as two snakes twisted around his limbs, trapping him. _‘No, they’re taking him away from somewhere… or from someone’._

“Fountain of the fallen angel” Jeyne said next to her. Sansa followed her gaze to a plaque at the base of the fountain.

_“Look at me…”_

Sansa looked up sharply. _‘It can't be’._ The statue couldn't be talking to her, could it? Jeyne couldn’t have said anything, since she was standing next to her. She certainly would have heard her. Besides, the voice was different. It was more serious, deep, with hoarse nuances, manly.

“It’s a little creepy, don’t you think?” Creepy wasn't the word Sansa would have used. Jeyne resumed her walk without looking back. Sansa could not help but stand by and stare at the strange statue for a few more seconds until Jeyne called her to hurry.

_‘Tragic’  
_

Yes, that word was more appropriate.

 

 ______________________

 

_‘It must be the heat. It’s almost impossible to sleep in this place at night’_

She still kept turning her head to the subject of the strange voice she had heard. After calming down and convincing herself that she wasn't crazy, she had decided to think about possible alternative causes to her particular problem.

 _‘If it's not the heat, it must have been the fatigue’_. Sansa took her refreshment and brought it gently to her lips for a drink. Her date was twenty minutes late and she honestly didn't expect him to show up.

 _‘Asshole’_. She got up and left the premises. The gentle night breeze greeted her by caressing her cheeks as she advanced down the street.

She didn't really feel like going back to Jeyne's apartment. Returning meant having to admit that her night had been a failure. Sansa shook her head lightly. She always made herself promise over and over again that she would not make the same mistakes again. What did she get out of it? Another date, another disappointment.

Her feet led her to one of the park entrances. Sansa stopped looking at the high fences that bordered the park. The place was exceptionally large, a little forest in the middle of the busy metropolis. Sansa spotted a door on the corner of the gate. The park was closed at night, or at least that's what it said on the enclosure plate.

_“Inside…”_

The voice. _The statue_. No it couldn’t be, it had to be a coincidence. Sansa approached and took the doorknob from the small door and turned it around. All her senses were shouting at her to run away, that she shouldn't be in that place. The door opened without any difficulty. Almost guided by an external force, Sansa entered the enclosure and began to walk along the tangled paths of the park.

The small footpaths traversed a tangle of trees until they flowed into a wider street. The scarce lanterns gave a tenebrous appearance to what had been a lively and busy path through the day. Sansa was a little more relieved to see that not all of the park was closed. She had managed to stroll down the street until she reached an area where there were still people taking a walk, enjoying the coolness of the night.

She stopped in front of the pond's railing. A glass palace was erected on the opposite shoreline, illuminated by several spotlights. The scene would have had a fantastic touch if it hadn't been for the people around taking photos, immortalizing the dismal frame to upload it later to their respective social media.

Sansa huffed annoyed. _‘Couldn’t they **see** what was in front of them instead of just looking at it?’_

“Got a light?”

Sansa shook startled. Leaning over the railing was a man fully dressed in black staring at her. _‘How come I haven’t heard him arrive?_ ’ Before answering him, she looked around. There were still people walking around. _‘Stop being so paranoid’_.

“Yes” Sansa rummaged through her purse until she found her lighter and handed it to the newcomer. The stranger took it and lit his cigarette. The faint light of the lighter illuminated his features, revealing a dark hair adorned by gray bands on his temples.

“Thank you. You don’t smoke?” Azure eyes locked in mossy green. A heartbeat passed before she could recover from his eerie orbs.

“No, my ex-boyfriend smoked” Sansa shook her head _‘Really Sansa? Are you talking about your love life with strangers now? You can do better’._ She couldn’t help it. There was something unusual about this stranger. “I think I'm going to get rid of it. Do you want it?”

“If you don’t mind…”

Sansa outstretched his arm, offering him the object. “Not at all”

The stranger took the lighter in an elegant motion from her, barely grazing her hand. The small gesture was enough to send a chill through her spine, making her shiver.

“Thank you” The newcomer took a puff, exhaling the smoke into the night air. They both stood silent, expectantly looking across the pond. Several heartbeats passed before the newcomer spoke to her again.

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Pardon? You mean my ex?” _‘Unbelievable’_ She could almost laugh. No matter how mysterious this man's aura was, he definitely didn't know how to start a conversation. Sansa shook her head and looked down.

“No, I left him a long time ago”

“Why then?” He drawled. Sansa raised her head. The stranger looked at her with a curious sparkle in his eyes. The lines on his face showed not a trace of mockery, just the mask of someone who has lived and lost a lot.

“Why not?” She retorted.

The stranger smirked. “Because the park is dark at night and full of terrors”

“The only terrifying thing here is your attempt to start a conversation” The stranger let out a hearty laugh.

“Was it really that lame?”

Sansa shrugged. “Just a little bit”

The stranger released his hold on the railing and started walking “It's not the worst thing I've ever been told”.

“Are you going for a walk?” Sansa asked.

“A walk and a smoke? Sure” The stranger motioned his head for her to follow him. They quietly walked for some time, next to each other. Mingling with the night crowd of the streets. The man wasn't very tall, about the same height as Sansa but his bearing gave him a natural presence difficult to ignore.

“What's the worst thing anyone's ever said to you?” The stranger chuckled at her question.

“Thanking me, that’s the worst thing someone has ever said to me” Sansa looked at him confused. “It was something someone told me the last time I saw her, a long time ago. Apparently I still have a lot of lessons to learn”

“What happened?”

The dark haired man tilted his head towards her “You think because you’re a pretty stranger, I'll tell you all my secrets?”

Sansa smirked. She couldn’t believe how easy it was for her to talk with this man “You flatter me. I'm not a stranger, we've been talking for almost five minutes”

 _‘He has a pretty smile’_ Sansa thought. A pity it faded away the moment he remembered her question.

“You could say I trusted too much and reality crashed into me, twice. Although the last one was the time that really hurt.”

Sansa nodded remembering her “successful” relationships. _‘It hurts when your heart gets broken by a monster’_

“I know what you mean. Listen to the devil and he’ll reward you with hell”

The stranger looked her in the eyes again. “Oh sweetling, you don’t know how right you are” With this, he put his cigarette down and threw it in a trash can nearby.

Their feet led them to a small square. The place looked familiar to Sansa. Her eyes turned to the octagonal pedestal in the center of the square and then everything made sense, except for one thing.

“Strange” she said.

“What?”

“I could have sworn there was a statue of an angel on that fountain this morning"

“Maybe it flew away” He joked.

Sansa rolled her eyes. “You don’t mean that, do you?”

“Or maybe he's just trying to get back to heaven. You said he was an angel, right?”

Since the only other option she had besides continuing this conversation was to go home and get drunk, she decided to tolerate the ramblings of her peculiar companion.

“Okay, how is he going to do that if I may ask?”

“Going through something worse than hell” He replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“What could possibly be worse than hell?”

The man shrugged “Is there nothing worse than being away from a loved one? Is it not to be away from someone for whom you would give a thousand times your soul even if she betrayed you a million times more? To go from having everything to have nothing in the blink of an eye”

His mask of indifference said one thing, but his bitter eyes told another. Somehow she empathized with him. _‘Although I’m not as broken’_

“At least he had everything. Now he's just lost”

The man gave her a smile, a true smile. “Yeah, tragic, isn't it? Or he may have found someone else”

“A new hope?” Sansa smiled back at him.

“After all, hope is the last thing you lose”

Sansa stopped and turned to him. He copied her movements and stood still. _‘This is crazy’_. Sansa outstretched her arm, offering her hand.

“Sansa” The man took her hand and bowed slightly, kissing the back of her hand. Sansa blushed.

“Sansa” he pronounced slowly. She nodded giggling. “Petyr, my name is Petyr” With this they started walking again, finally exiting the park into the sleepless streets of the city.

“Petyr? May I ask you something?” Petyr nodded amused.

“Do you believe in love?” He stopped and took her hand in his, her heart beating a little bit faster. _‘What kind of question is that Sansa?’_ But she needed to know, she wasn’t sure why. He raised his face to hers, linking their eyes. Linking their souls.

“Yes sweetling, I believe in love… and in all its consequences”

Sansa averted her gaze. She didn’t dare to look at him after hearing his answer. After hearing his pain. Petyr moved his free hand to cradle her chin, raising her face, close enough for her to smell the mint of his breath.

“May I ask you something Sansa?” Sansa nodded totally transfixed by his stare.

“May I kiss you?”

Sansa’s head tilted, inviting him. He cradled her cheek and closed the distance, sealing their fates with a kiss, joining their souls once again. Forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story :)
> 
> I hope you liked it. I tried to do something different of what I'm used to with this short story but I think it works. Tell me what you think about this story in the comments if you like, I'd love some feedback.
> 
> (and yes, Petyr is the devil in this fic (a fallen angel, at least that's what I was aiming for) and its set in another life after he was betrayed by Sansa in the show)
> 
> Tumblr: @quoyan11


	2. Repercussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after

He woke up and saw fire. Pictures of what happened last night invaded his mind. The drinks, the laughter, the casual kisses under the streetlamps and finally the sight of the brightest pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. _‘Her eyes’_

For the first time in a long time he felt that he was really alive. The nightmares that invaded him every night had stopped, for once, leaving him with a degree of false security that would surely take its toll later on him. He had broken his pact and there were going to be consequences. No one could escape from a prison built by the angels themselves and live to tell the tale.

The funny thing was, he'd broken all the rules for her, for spending a night with the same person who had been invading his nightmares ever since he had memory, _‘I’m a fool’._

She didn't remember him, which was no big surprise. It was not possible for a mere mortal like her to be able to see through the dimensions. That was the price he had to pay, to be able to see everything, the beginning and end of thousands of universes.

Different worlds where they knew each other, talked, betrayed each other, hated each other, reconciled, loved each other… Dimensions in which he was forbidden to participate, becoming a mere passive spectator, with the only possibility of being able to see how he was sentenced over and over again.

 

The worst hell he could ever imagine.

 

Sansa moved in his embrace, stretching her limbs as best she could with the little space she had. Petyr buried his head in the hollow of her shoulder, breathing in the smell of her hair. The sensation of his breath on her cheek made her giggle and turn around to face him. There they were, the sweet blue pools he had died a thousand times over for.

“So it wasn’t a dream,” she said with a tired voice.

“I don’t know what you mean sweetling,” he replied with a little kiss on her nose. Sansa smiled coyly and stretched one of her hands to caress his hair.

“Last night I dreamt I took a walk with a very attractive and mysterious stranger”

“You must be careful with your dreams. Who knows what intentions lay behind the mask of such individuals?” he joked by turning his head to kiss her wrist. How many times had he dreamed of being like this with her? To say he had wanted it for an eternity was an understatement.

“I don't know, he just asked for a light so he could smoked his cigarette, but of course one thing led to another and... What can I say? But you're right, anything could have happened to me”

“You’re lucky I was with you then”

They were silent for a couple of seconds looking at each other until Petyr couldn't contain his chuckle, causing Sansa to burst out laughing. Slightly annoyed, Petyr silenced her with a kiss moving over her. Sansa returned the gesture, immediately losing herself in their movements.

He could not believe that the woman beneath him, laughing, joking, kissing him fervently, was the same woman who had so often doomed him with her icy glare. The fact that the he was the reason for both cases only fuelled his desire for her even more.

Slowly, minutes passed before one of them decided to leave the bed. Sansa was the first, reluctantly getting up to go to the bathroom for a moment. Petyr, unaware of where he was staying, got out of bed and walked out of the small room.

He thought he recalled Sansa mentioning something about her friend Jeyne's flat last night, so he figured that's where he should be. His legs led him into the room that was supposed to be the living room.

Despite having been locked up for several centuries, he knew how to recognize the different objects that occupied the room: a laptop on top of a small coffee table, a sofa facing a TV next to several shelves, a folder that should have contained the many drawings scattered around the table… He remembered the purpose of each object but he had  never used them.

After a couple of attempts he managed to turn on the TV. Proud of himself, he saw how a sequence of images appeared on the screen announcing a beauty product. _‘Curious’_

The feeling of a pair of arms wrapping around his chest took his attention away from his new discovery. Which didn't bother him at all.

“Are you hungry?” She asked him, kissing him on the cheek. It was curious how comfortable he was with her after just one night together. He knew that she must have been thinking something similar, since he also knew, she didn't do this with just anyone.

He had not seen her act this way with another person in the whole time he had been watching her. She had always been distant, aware of the attention she attracted from the male side, but always courteously. Once the two were in agreement, Petyr accompanied her to the kitchen, which was practically in the living room due to the small space in the flat. Together they prepared the things they needed to eat while the sound of the television rang in the background.

Even though they'd been tangled up in each other all night long, they still acted a little shy. After all, they were practically strangers. Although Petyr played with advantage.

“Thanks for the breakfast,” he praised taking a bite out of his toast, “it's the best meal I've had in years, to be honest”

It was true, since he had not needed to eat anything in all the years he had been locked up in his timeless prison. Honestly, angels may be the most perfect and petulant creatures of creation, but it was clear that they were not capable of appreciating the pleasure of a good breakfast.

Sansa blushed. “I already like you the way you are Petyr, you don't have to give me false compliments to make me feel better” With one quick move she took his toast, stealing a bite from the corner. Petyr raised his eyebrows, _‘Someone’s feeling playful’_

“In that case I have to confess how disgusting everything was, I don't think we should repeat this in the near future”

Sansa chuckled “Your loss then”

“What do you do for a living?,” he blurted out, “I don't think a smart girl like you would be content to hang out with strangers and make awful breakfasts” he continued, watching her spread some jam on the toast she had stolen from him.

“Only in my spare time, I spend the rest studying” she answered, licking a little jam left on her thumb. It was a small gesture but enough for Petyr to notice how her eyes darkened and a chill came down his own back. _‘She certainly knows how to play’_

“I came here because my friend Jeyne studies in the city and I'm taking some time  to finish my thesis” She explained unlocking her phone.

“Yes, the famous Jeyne” Petyr commented.

“I'm afraid she was too busy last night to go home,” said Sansa with a smile looking at her phone.

“Are you an art student?” he asked looking at the several foulders and drawing sheets scattered on the living room table. It was the only thing that stood out from the rest of the room.

Sansa smirked. “Yes, although I'm better at art history than drawing, these are just scribbles” she finished trying not to give importance to the pile of drawings that Petyr was holding in his hands. Among them was one who immediately caught his attention.

It was a drawing of him, well, of the statue that had served as his prison in recent centuries to be more precise. Petyr admired the drawing for a few more seconds before he raised his eyes. Sansa had changed the TV station and now the same image that he was holding was showing on the screen and a news reporter announcing the disappearance of the statue.

“The main hypothesis maintained by the police,” the journalist began, “is that a group of young people who frequent the area snuck into the park last night and stole the peculiar statue as a joke. The police are still investigating, but so far...”

“I told you it didn't fly away” he heard Sansa say, but there was something wrong. Suddenly, a sharp twinge pierced his head. Petyr closed his eyes with a grimace. The pain had been so sudden that Sansa's drawings slipped off when he put his hands on his face.

"Petyr!" Sansa shouted, but he did not hear her. It was then that when he saw him, an angel materializing in the street crowd, camouflaging himself among the people as he moved forward with a determined step and an intimidating look.

 _‘They are coming’_ Petyr cursed under his breath, ‘ _I have to go, he can’t find me here with Sansa’._ He knew his actions would have consequences, but so soon?

“I'm fine. I just have a little headache,” he answered as best he could as he searched for his clothes throughout the apartment. They couldn't even wait to get to her room last night.

"Do you need anything? Wait, I'll get you an ibuprofen,” she went to the bathroom and Petyr took the opportunity to finish getting dressed. He went to the street door, rushing before Sansa came back, knowing that if he didn't do it now he would never leave.

“I’m an idiot” The least he could do was to prevent Sansa from being in danger because of him and there was a high probability that she already was, being Petyr here with her.

With great effort he opened the door and left without looking back. Without looking at the little shelter, where he had spent his possible last hours of life with the woman who had given him back, ironically, his will to live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2!
> 
> I have finally ventured to expand on this story.  
> In theory there will be 5 chapters.  
> I've already planned the whole arc of the story so I hope you like where I'm taking this.
> 
> As always, I'd really appreciate any feedback!  
> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Tumblr: @quoyan11


	3. Black paintings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Look for me_  
>  when you need me  
> look for me  
> If heaven doesn't want us  
> I'll see you in hell with the angels 
> 
>  
> 
> \- Dorian, White Nights 
> 
> (this excerpt was translated from the original song)

"What do you mean it’s not available?" Several faces turned towards their direction after hearing her raise her voice. _'Let them look if they want to, I've had enough'_. The librarian frowned, showing his discomfort at her behavior. If he was trying to intimidate her or make her feel guilty in some way, he wasn't going to succeed.

She had followed all the required steps and instructions on the university's website. In theory, she would have no problem getting the book she needed for her thesis, but of course, it couldn't all be that easy. Bureaucracy had to get in the way.

"They took the last one this morning," the manager replied, with a nasal voice that was getting on the redhead's nerves every time he opened his mouth.

"But the email I got this morning said I could pick it up at this time, today. There didn't seem to be any mistake," she insisted.

"I'm sorry but a teacher needed that same copy and teachers have preference" Sansa took a deep breath trying to calm herself. There had to be another option.

"Isn't there a digital version of the document or a copy available for loan? I don't need it to be the original version."

The manager shook his head. "I'm afraid there isn’t, now if you'd be so kind as to try it another day more quietly," he said, pointing to the door.

"Of course," Sansa replied with the fakest smile she could muster. She didn’t have to endure any kind of interaction with an employee who was convinced that the Flanders Baroque painting was the same as the Dutch painting. "They're in the same section" he had told her, as if that were reason enough, _'If you invested a minimum of effort in cataloguing everything properly this wouldn’t happen'_

"The next time I return, I’ll make sure there's someone competent behind the counter and not someone who doesn't even know who Vermeer is."

She'll probably come up with another way to approach her thesis without having to resort to the book she was looking for, but she'd be lying if letting all her frustrations go at _‘Samuel’_ or whatever his name was, hadn’t felt good.

Before giving him time to respond, Sansa turned around and walked out of the room, ignoring the curious glances the people at the library were giving her after her brief _'disagreement'_ with the librarian.

In theory, she shouldn't even be in town anymore. The week she was going to spend with her friend Jeyne had turned magically into two. She excused herself by saying that she was making better use of her time researching her thesis in a place like this, full of galleries and museums where she could get lost in its most secret corners. She kept  telling to her parents how amazed she was by the local culture and customs. She insisted them that she still couldn't leave without seeing all the things she had yet to visit. That like many artists and people before her, she had been captivated by the city.

 

_‘Captivated by him’_

 

Sansa's face darkened, remembering him. She didn't know what to think anymore. At first she could not believe the way he had disappeared from her apartment without prior notice. She had hated him, because she had felt used like a silly little girl. Deceived by his empty flattery and false smiles, which had somehow managed to make her feel something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. _‘Probably never’_

They had been so absorbed in each other that night that they had barely had time to exchange any information other than their names. No address, no phone number, no references....

Sansa was not the kind of person who would relentlessly chase after all the people who would cause a pleasant impression on her. To say that night was 'nice' was an understatement. The thought that it had meant so little to him to leave in such a manner made her reconsider her chances of whether if it was really worthwhile to continue to have any kind of hope.

Did he fake the fire that burned in his eyes? If there was anything she could remember better than the ash of his temples and the gray of his eyes was the passion that radiated from his body that night. Each caress, each kiss, each word, each gesture reinforced little by little the connection that united their souls, bringing them together in such a way that there were moments when she couldn’t distinguish whether they were two bodies or one.

 _‘Forget him Sansa, it's not worth it,'_ her mind, cold and analytical, showed her the facts. It had been just another night. The only difference was that it had been a little more enjoyable. Nothing out of the ordinary, she just had to move on. But a little voice in her mind held her back. _‘I'll never learn’_

Sansa snorted, covering her face with her hands. Maybe this was the signal she had been waiting for. The signal to abandon her search and return home. She had looked for him in the park where they met for the first time, in the bar where they had gone afterwards, in the streets of the city.... Lost days that only exhausted her hope.

Sansa took her mobile phone out of her pocket and typed a message for Jeyne, telling her not to wait her for lunch, that she had been delayed and couldn’t arrive on time. More excuses and lies, Sansa had already lost count.

She noticed how her knuckles bumped into a piece of paper after putting her mobile phone back in her pocket. Annoyed, she took it out and knew what it was the moment she saw it. It was the drawing she had made of the angel's statue.

Sansa shook her head, pushing away the thoughts that sprouted from her after seeing the drawing. There was only one place she wanted to go at that particular moment. If there was anything that could focus her mind on moments like these it was her research, and she happened to know the perfect place.

 

__________________

 

 

Petyr saw her leave the building. Her unmistakable auburn mane betrayed her. Petyr huddled beneath the shade of the tree that covered him. He was a considerable distance away from her, but every precaution was small.

It had been a week since he had fled from her friend's apartment without giving any explanation.

He kept repeating to himself that he had done it for her safety and at first it had worked. It took him three days to lose the angels who were after his trail, but in the end he succeeded. Or so he thought. He came very close to being caught a couple of times. Had he not been in such a large and populous city, it would have been impossible for him to mislead his pursuers from the crowd.

However, he still wasn’t sure that Sansa wasn’t in any danger. On the other hand he knew that as long as he was with her she was going be at some kind of risk and that was something he couldn’t afford.

The bad news was that, no matter how hard he tried to avoid her, their paths always  crossed. _‘At least I’ll know she’s okay this way,’_ he thought when he saw her visiting the bar where they had been the night they met. She had also come too close to where Petyr was most afraid to go, to the pedestal where his statue used to be in the park, _‘My prison,’_ he recalled.

It was the place where he was most likely to encounter either of the two angels who were on his trail. Going there, even if it was only to survey the terrain, was the worst thing he could certainly do. 

Luckily he didn't run into any of them and was able to follow Sansa from afar. For a moment he thought that, as much as he had tried to avoid it, he was in the same situation as before he escaped from prison. He was able to see her, to follow each and every one of her movements, but he could not touch her, speak to her or interact with her without risking her wellbeing.

From afar he saw how Sansa hopped in the bus that had just stopped in front of the library. He didn’t need to follow her to know where she was heading. He couldn't explain it, but he just knew it. His body was somehow in tune with hers since the night they had shared and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of it. He wondered if anything similar was happening to her.

She had probably forgotten about him, after all, he left her in the lurch, in the worst possible way. Probably the words ‘selfish’, ‘bastard’ or ‘jerk’ had gone through her head more than once since they parted, or worse.

There was nothing he wouldn't give to be with her again, to feel her silky hair under his fingers, to feel her smile against his neck as she giggled under his arms, to press her lips against his own until they ran out of air.... Petyr sighed. All he had to do was get his plan to work, but where could he start?  

 

__________________

 

 

The corridors of the museum changed as she walked through them. Sailing aimlessly through the different floors of the old facility had become her specialty from the first day she had arrived in the city.

The evolution of the art over the centuries was reflected in every wall, every statue, even in every staircase that she passed. The museum had first attracted her because of the large number of paintings and exhibitions it housed. Later she had discovered that sculpture and music had also managed to find their way into the enclosure. It seemed obvious that as an art student, this museum was the first place she would go in her spare time. However, she knew that not all of her classmates shared her eagerness for painting as she thought.

Little by little, she got lost in her own world. The frustration she felt before disappeared, giving way to a world full of shades of colors, of textures, of techniques that turned a couple of strokes into a picture she could watch for hours.

Sansa dodged the group of tourists who blocked the entrance to her favorite hall. Once inside, she walked around admiring every piece of work in the room. The oval room housed only six paintings, but each one stood out for its large dimensions and the precision in its execution. Several pairs of eyes tracked her from their canvases as she approached the back of the room.

Art varied greatly according to people's tastes and preferences. After all, in her opinion, it was a way of reflecting reality and each individual perceived his or her world differently. The different techniques and currents didn’t delimit the potential of the painting and that was something that Sansa admired. Not knowing where the end resided, the ability to stretch the boundaries of something until you finally reached its limit

It was seconds, minutes, hours before Sansa was aware of the time she had spent walking around the museum. She could barely feel the discomfort that the soles of her feet were going through after pacing across the hundreds of rooms. She had been so absorbed in her own world that she hadn’t even noticed her own body, much less the gray shadow that tracked her every move.

But she did. She would have ignored it, as she had often done before, but something told her that this time was different. She didn't know if it was the way her neck hair stood up or how her blood boiled, unknowingly anticipating the inevitable.

 

"Sansa"

 

As soon as she heard the velvety tone of his voice she knew who he was. Sansa closed her eyes and breathed a couple of times. After such a long time, he came back into her life as unexpectedly as the first time.

She turned around and came face to face with him. For a moment the fury in her eyes relaxed at the sight of him again, but she managed to shake off all the thoughts of affection she had kept for herself all these days and stood firm.

Petyr must have noticed her moment of weakness as he took advantage of it to open his mouth, "Sansa I..." but he couldn’t finish. The palm of Sansa's hand struck his cheek like lightning, surprising him enough to stop his advance towards her.

"No," she uttered after a few seconds in which she could only listen to his thumping heart. She had nothing to say to him, she had waited for him and he hadn’t returned. But then, why did he come before her now? Surely he had followed her here, Sansa didn’t believe so much in coincidences to think that this had been the work of fate.

"You left, you just left" Suddenly, all the pain she had been trying to suppress for the last few days fell over her. _‘How dare he do this to me,'_ the old Sansa would have gotten over it immediately, but for a moment, she didn't want to be that person. Something had changed since that night, for better or worse, and she was afraid to lose it.

Gathering all the strength she could muster, she turned her gaze from his eyes and set out to resume her tour around the museum, preferably towards the exit.

Before she could take a step, Petyr grabbed her arm. It was like waking up from a dream, as if the person who had been wandering around the city the last few days was not really her. It was now that, with the touch of his hand, she looked up and saw the pain passing through Petyr's features.

"I can explain it" He started once he saw that she had her attention, "I know I left without saying anything and it's possibly the biggest mistake I've made in my life but I had no choice..."

Sansa shook her head. "I don't want to hear any excuses, it's too late for that" She wasn't willing to hear the same justification again. She wasn't going to be that silly girl who gave in to someone else's pain. Petyr squeezed her hand asking her to give him a chance.

"Sansa please" _'Was he begging?’_ "I'm not who you think I am."

Sansa could laugh at that, she certainly knew who he was. A moment ago, he was a persistent memory she was trying to forget. Before that, he was a liar who had abandoned her like many others before him. Long before, he was a light of hope that had made her believe that she really deserved more than “one nightstands” in her life.

Despite all this thoughts, she did not make any gesture to undo the contact between his hand and her own. Despite trying to avoid the truth of her feelings, she was drawn into its orbit like a moon rotating around a planet. The question was whether she really had enough energy to stay in it or if she was so weak as to fall into its force of attraction.

"Do you remember the statue of the angel?" his voice awakened her from her memories. She didn’t know how it had happened but his face was now just inches away from hers. Her icy blue orbs looked at his mossy greens and she couldn’t help but nod to his question. _‘Where did he want to go with this?’_

"Do you remember the voice?" Her eyes widened in bewilderment. _‘How could he know about the voice?’_ Petyr smiled slightly at the sight of her expression, calming his stance once he knew she remembered what he was talking about.

 

Petyr raised his free hand, cupping her chin "It was me"

 

Sansa frowned, not sure of what he meant with that statement, when she noticed Petyr's body tensing up on alert. With a quick movement, he turned and placed her behind him, out of the newcomer’s reach that had just entered the room.

She was so focused on Petyr that she hadn’t noticed the silence that reigned in the place, not only in the room but in the whole museum. She would have sworn that a few seconds ago the place had been crowded as usual, but that restlessness seemed to fade as the uncertainty the stranger brought increased.

 

"Let go of the girl” The reverberation in the room made his voice sound much louder.

 

The stranger's expression did not change an iota after he had made his demand heard. Sansa leaned slightly over Petyr's shoulder. He noticed her movement and squeezed her hand in warning. Despite this, Sansa managed to catch a glimpse of the newcomer.

He was quite a tall and robust individual, much taller than her and Petyr. Half his face was disfigured by what looked like burns, which only made his appearance even more threatening than it already was. He looked like a character taken from the _'black paintings'_ that the museum had in one of their lesser known rooms.

_‘How could they have let someone like him in the museum? Doesn't security do its job? He even has a sword no less!’_

"What's going on?" she asked confused. This didn't look good. All her instincts were shouting at her to run, to run away from that room as fast as she could, even if it was necessary to drag Petyr down with her.

 _‘Petyr,’_ she thought, alarmed. He had not moved a muscle since the stranger had addressed him. Was he... afraid? She wouldn’t have found it strange to be honest. Anyone would be if someone the size of this strange newcomer were chasing him or her. Don’t forget the blade.

"Lord Baelish, you broke the rules. You broke our pact," continued the newcomer, "no one capable of breaking one of our deals can continue in this existence”

Wait, _'what?’ Lord Baelish?’_ Was he implying that he was going to kill Petyr, why? Nothing that was happening made any sense. She felt something sprout from within her chest as she heard his words. Sansa took a step forward around Petyr's body and headed towards the bulky stranger.

 

"No!” She shouted filled with rage, “Who are you to threaten him like that? You have no right to do it!"

"I know exactly what I've done, Clegane, you don't have to rub it in my face," Petyr interrupted.

 

Sansa's eyes were clouded. She couldn't believe what she had heard. She turned and faced Petyr. His face was impassive, but there was a fire behind his eyes that told her how determined he was to endure the consequences of whatever he had done.

"No," Sansa whispered as she approached him. Her hands resting on his shoulders as soon his hands wrapped around her waist as they had done a week earlier. She bowed her head, unable to look at his eyes, not wanting him to see the tears that fell from her eyes.

"No no no no Petyr no, please..." She couldn't lose him now that she had just found him. She could barely remember how angry she'd been with him a moment ago.

Nothing she had said before mattered, it had lost all its meaning once she had seen his eyes begging for another chance. She closed the distance with a single movement and hugged him close, resting her head in the hollow of his neck.

Petyr hugged her back, raising his face for a moment to kiss her on the crown of her head. "I'm not going to lose you, Sansa, ever again, you hear me?" Sansa sipped her nose and nodded against his neck. Petyr turned her over, so that she was out 'Clegane's reach, or whatever his name was, again.

Petyr cradled her cheek and leant towards her, closing the distance between them with a kiss. The passion and the feelings that flowed from his gesture left her breathless and for a moment she forgot what was happening around her. He felt like coming home.

Petyr ended gently their kiss and rested his forehead against her own. "Trust me," he whispered.

Sansa raised her head in confusion. It had been only a whisper, but the security with which Petyr had told her was disconcerting. She then looked into his eyes and saw it. There was a glint in them, trying to make her understand that this wasn’t the end, to make her see that he wasn’t willing to give up so easily.

"You have until midnight," interrupted Clegane's powerful voice, "if you don't come, there will be consequences” With this he turned and left the room. Leaving them with more questions than those they had started with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two chapters left!  
> I hope your liking the story so far, thanks for reading!
> 
> (this chapter was tough)
> 
> I apologise in advance for any grammatical mistake that I may have commited, I did my best. You have been warned.


	4. Why me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Afraid_   
>  _Afraid of returning to hell_   
>  _Afraid you'll be afraid of me_   
>  _Afraid to have to forget you_   
>  _\- Miedo, M-Clan_

They ended up in the café right next to the museum. Clegane's words kept ringing in his mind as if he were repeating them at his side. For a moment he thought he was going to stop him (or worse, kill him) right there, in front of Sansa.

He quickly pushed those unpleasant thoughts out of his head and glanced at the serene redhead in front of him. The sun reflected on her hair, forming a halo around her almost angelic. Noticing his attention, she turned her eyes away from the menu and smiled sheepishly at him.

Petyr could not help but form a small smile when he saw that he could still cause that reaction in her. Their strange re-encounter had given him another chance and despite the immediate threat that haunted them both from every corner, he didn’t intend to waste it.

He still remembered the panicked look on her face when she heard the angel threaten him. She was the one who almost told him to go to hell just a couple of seconds before being interrupted.

On the one hand, he had been proud of the way in which she had confronted the avenging angel. On the other, he had come to fear for her life because of her hasty decision. _‘She's definitely a Stark,'_ he thought with amusement. No matter what universe he was in, courage and recklessness were constant traits in that family.

"What do you want to know?" he asked her, ready to tell her everything she wanted to know. He no longer had anything to hide from her, not after what happened at the museum. Sansa frowned and bit her lower lip.

"Will you tell me the truth?" Petyr sighed. It was only fair she would doubt his word. Something inside him told him to take a chance. His story was crazy no matter what point in the story he started, did it matter whether she believed it or not?

Sansa's eyes studied him impassively and for a moment he felt like the defendant in the trial they had so many lives ago. It was not the time to question himself, especially not in front of Sansa. He had a plan, and if he did pull it off he could finally be with her, _'If she wants me to'_ he thought wistfully.

“Yes” he said finally, “I’ll tell you everything”

 

______________

 

Sansa listened closely to his story. At first he hesitated, fearful of the possible reaction he might receive from her. Frankly, she thought his story was madness. How could he be an angel? Did angels and demons really exist? Was he a prisoner? What was he locked up for? Where are his wings?

Petyr laughed at her last question. She knew it was the last thing it had to do with his story, but she was really curious. At least it was nice to see him happy for a change. He ran one hand through his hair thinking about his answer. His appearance seemed to have rejuvenated after telling him everything and Sansa couldn't help but smile at him. She was falling under his spell again and there was nothing she didn’t wish more.

"They're metaphorical wings," he insisted as he saw her amused face, "feathers don’t grow from my back and I fly away like a bird, it's more related to the way angels are able to move themselves across dimensions”

Sansa remembered what he had told her about his time in prison. It was still hard for her to believe that such a small statue would have held him for so long. _'Centuries he had said,'_ she noticed. _‘He's very good for his age'_ , she scolded herself mentally and took a drink from her coffee.

Petyr noticed her little hesitation and smirked mischievously. How she'd love to take that little smirk off his face. It was like he knew exactly what she was thinking all the time.

"So you don't just fly away?" she asked between sips.

"No"

"But you're very good at disappearing," she added with a hint of annoyance. Petyr was silent. The jovial atmosphere that had reined fade away letting the sound of the café flooded their ears. Sansa looked down at her cup of coffee, distracting herself as her fingers traced the rim.

"I'm sorry," he said finally.

Sansa looked up. She noticed something sprouting in her chest when she saw his face. Petyr extended his arm and linked her hand with his, bringing it to his face to place a kiss on the backside of her hand. 

"I won't leave again," he promised firmly, "never, do you hear me?"

Sansa nodded without being able to look him in the eye, "But I just want to know, why? Why did you just walk away? You could have explained it to me" That's it. She was going to have to tell him. She'd been denying it to herself for a week, but she had to admit it.

"I was worried"

"Now you know what happened, I've told you everything," he replied, squeezing her hand affectionately.

Sansa huffed, "Now I'm even more worried"

"I left because I feared that exactly something like this would happen. I knew they were after me the time I escaped from that prison and the last thing I wanted was to put you in danger because of me. That's why I ran away"

Sansa was silent not knowing what to say. She didn't want to be a damsel in distress, but she couldn't help but think it after listening to Petyr. A chill ran down her back as she remembered Clegane and his blade. He could’ve attacked them at any time and there was nothing they could’ve done to stop him.

She then realized that if she hadn't been there with Petyr, he would have probably end up badly. Somehow, despite being oblivious to all that was happening, she had managed to hold the angel's wrath for a few hours.

" _Let go of the girl!_ " She remembered. Petyr was the damsel in distress, not her.

Sansa stood up and walked over to Petyr's side, reaching out her hand. "Come on, my fallen angel." If she only had a few hours left with him, she would not waste them. Petyr grabbed her hand and they exited of the little café together.

"Let's go someplace where no one can bother us."

 

 ______________ 

 

Sansa led him through the streets of the city. At first he thought they were wandering aimlessly, only enjoying their own company together. Petyr would have been content with it, one more day with her was enough of a gift.

Apparently Sansa had other plans and they ended up going back to their friend's apartment. "You know I shouldn't even be here anymore," she said, opening the door to the apartment. Petyr turned her over and wrapped his arms around her waist. He saw the flush on her cheeks spread all over her face and smirked.

"I should have come back home a week ago, but I'm still here you see" Petyr already knew, so he just nodded and rubbed his nose with hers. Sansa smiled at his gesture, dimples forming in her face and peered at his lips. "Waiting for you"

He couldn't take it anymore. He didn't care what was right or wrong any longer. Petyr bent over and captured her lips in a gentle kiss, asking for permission, permission to continue what they started a week ago. Asking permission to return to her life and never leave.

Sansa reciprocated his gesture and led them slowly towards the hall. Petyr remembered everything, every corner, every edge of the house and had no trouble sorting through every piece of furniture and door until they got to her room.

Her kisses were intense, full of passion, desire. Each reflected the anger and pain she had felt at his departure. With a little of patience, they got rid of the multiple layers that covered them. His shirt, his pants, her bra, they all found their place as they moved on to her single bed.

In a moment of clarity, Sansa turned around and tossed the small pile of drawings she had on top of her bed. Petyr did not abandon her, his arms continued to wander around her body, appreciating each and every one of her curves. His mouth landed on her shoulder, tracing the route between her clavicle and jawbone with warm kisses. He instinctively pressed his body against hers, letting her _feel_ him.

"I'm here," he whispered in her ear. Determined, he sat down on her bed and pulled her to himself, holding her down as he sat on his lap. Her eyes connected with his. There were no words, no expression or sound capable of voicing the long wait each of them had had to endure.

The overwhelming electricity invaded his bones and they both melted into a kiss. There were no more barriers, no more threats, no more trials. It was just the two of them and they didn't need anything else. Minutes, hours passed, both lost in each other. He still remembered the touch of her skin with his, but it was like rediscovering it all over again.

She clutched him tightly, fingernails sinking into his skin the moment he entered her. They went slowly, both savoring every moment, every change of breath, every groan. Her auburn mane fell around them the moment Sansa decided to straddled him, changing their roles. His hands landed on her hips, guiding her slowly until they reached a satisfactory rhythm for both of them.

"Oh Petyr" she was close. He could feel it. One part of his mind wanted to stop, to slow down the pace somehow so he could take his time with her, but he couldn't. Seeing the frustration on her face, he leaned up and laid her back on her bed as gently as he could.

"Sansa" he sighed resuming his task, "my Sansa" her hand pulled on him until their lips met again. Petyr moaned into her mouth, prying her lips open to deepen the kiss. Her nipples brushed his chest with every movement of his hips. His hands were everywhere, her breasts, her neck, her hips, under her abdomen...

Sansa groaned as his fingers touched her nub, causing him to increase his rhythm, pushing deeper and deeper into her. With one last motion, he heard her scream his name while her walls clenched around him.

"My Petyr" he caught her whispering in ecstasy before he poured himself into her. The tension in his body disappeared and he landed next to her with a smirk. Her arms stretched out in his direction and Petyr accepted her invitation, huddling as close to her chest as he could. Inhaling her essence instinctively.

"Your Petyr" he repeated, raising his head to kiss her again, "yours forever"

 

______________

 

They spent hours sleeping, talking, entangled in each other. It all seemed like a dream and for a moment Sansa thought they were a normal couple. Being with him was so familiar that the fear of losing him grew as she looked back at her nightstand clock. 

"You can't leave," she blurted out after showing him the books she was using to complete her thesis. It had been fun to see how he reacted when she tried to show him a picture of a painting on her computer. Apparently he had never used one of them before, but he knew what it was, more or less. "They didn’t have one of this in the prison where I was, as you can see” he said. Sansa had kissed him and told him she would teach him as much as he wanted for as long as it took.

"You can't," she repeated. Petyr left the book he was flicking through on her desk and walked over to her.

"I told you, I'm not leaving," he said, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"What happens if you’re not there at midnight?" Sansa bent down her head and nuzzled her head on his chest. She immediately felt how Petyr's strong arms wrapped around her in a strong embrace. "What if you don't go back?"

"They'll come after me"

"Do you have any way to defend yourself, I don't know any weapon, a sword?" she asked, remembering Clegane’s.

"I have my wits," he replied with a smirk. Sansa snorted annoyed. He couldn’t do anything against a sword with that, could he? Sansa got rid of his embrace, unable to look him in the eye. She walked over to the table and took the book Petyr had left. 

"How can you be so calm knowing what's going to happen?"

"Because sweetling, I'm not going to fight them. That's his game and it's the last thing I want," he said to her back. She felt the slight pressure of his steps against the ground as he approached her.

"I'm afraid, Petyr" she confessed turning around. His eyes met hers and she could see the same concern she had in them.

"Me too," he admitted, drawing her into his space, "I'm afraid to go back to hell. I’m afraid of losing you after all of this. There is not a second that goes by in which I don’t ask myself if I could've done something different, something that could have prevented us from being in this situation”

He cradled her face with his free hand and stroked her cheekbone lovingly with his thumb. The heat radiating from the palm of his hand was so intoxicating, she wasn't sure if it was her imagination or her body was really on fire.

"You told me that I betrayed you in every dimension we meet, then why...? Why me?" It was hard to believe. He wasn’t the most honest person in the world, but that though was inconceivable when she found herself in his arms.

"Because I always betrayed you first sweetling," he confessed, Sansa tensed up in his arms, but he wouldn't let go. "And there's nothing I don't regret more" Petyr dipped his head, letting his forehead touch hers. Sansa didn't know what he was doing when she suddenly saw it.

A series of images passed through her mind. She was in a dark room wearing what look like a medieval dress. The image changed and the two of them were in a carriage going north, then her father was being beheaded, her family was dead, Petyr held her by her shoulders promising to get her out of there. Their kiss in the middle of a snowy patio, Petyr's tears before her sister slit his throat...

Sansa lost her balance and collapsed. Luckily, Petyr reacted in time and held her down with his arms, pulling her to himself. Sansa rested her arms on his shoulders and felt how Petyr was rocking her lightly. That's when she noticed she was crying. Everything had happened so quickly, it was as if the images had been seen by someone else, another Sansa. Slowly he led her to the couch and they both lay down. Petyr opened his legs leading her to rest over him, with his arms around her.

"Why me?" she asked weakly again. There were so many questions going through her head. Why Petyr had chosen her between infinite versions of herself? Was she the first one? Were there infinite Petyrs? The fact that he might have been using her and he could rule her out as easily as a chewing gum wrapper made her blood boil.

"Because you were my light amidst my sea of shadows," she heard him answer, "because every time I opened my eyes you were there"

"I spent centuries watching us betray each other, so many times that I came to think that my memories were false and I could never love you. I couldn't stand it! But I couldn't just give up, that's what they wanted"

“One day I saw you and your soul called me. That’s when I knew what my jailers had told me was a lie" The rage of his words left her speechless, she couldn't say anything even if she wanted to.

"You gave me back my hope and I broke all the rules to be with you." He continued kissing her on the crown of the head. "And I would do it again"

______________  

 

After dinner they returned to Sansa's room, melting into each other. They didn't talk. There was no need to.

It was ten o'clock at night and the fear of losing her in case everything went wrong was eating his insides. He needed to be with her, to feel her, to tell her everything he had wanted to tell her all those years ago. Before it was too late.

Her lips were the perfect excuse to make him forget everything as he got carried away. Her voice, her caresses, everything was intoxicating. He was immersed in her. Among her moans and tenderness, he found his refuge, a little haven to hide in the middle of this madness. An oasis where they could be themselves without fear of falling away.   

Before, he had been sure that everything was going to go according to his plan, but he wasn't so sure now. He knew she was scared too. Afraid of losing him again, afraid of not finding a way back if something went wrong. He'd be lying if he said he didn't worry every time her nightstand clock hour’s digit increased a number.

Time was running out and he had to act fast.  

He had thought of leaving everything behind and running away with her more than once. Let Clegane or anyone who dared chase him, he was happy with Sansa and he had no doubt that they’d both be happy despite the circumstances. _‘Running away doesn't solve things though’_

She had her own life and she couldn't lose it because of him, much to his regret. She had family, friends, studies, ambitions, and no matter how devastated she might be if he didn't come back in the morning, she could move on. He didn't doubt it for a second.

That's why the way she begged him broke his heart. Everything would have been easier if she'd fallen asleep, but she knew it. She knew he hadn't been completely honest with her about his plans.

His intentions were clear, he pretended to return to her no matter what, but that meant he had to do what he had to do, alone. Sansa would only make things worse by putting herself in danger and that was something he wouldn’t tolerate.

"No Petyr please..." she tried to beg him. Petyr leant his head and kissed her with as much love as he could. Telling her without words how much she meant to him. All the worlds he would be able to destroy, and had already destroyed, to be with her forever.

"I'm sorry my love" he closed his eyes trying to calm down, but he was unable to hide the rogue tear that slipped down his cheek. Sansa sobbed uncontrollably in his arms and he didn’t know what hurt more, the state she was in or what he was going to have to do next to carry out his plan. 

With effort, he brought the palm of his hand to her forehead and focused, drawing the redhead into a dream from which she wouldn’t wake up in the next few hours. It was enough time for him to get to the park at midnight and face Clegane.

Petyr couldn’t help but lie beside her as he watched her eyelids close, her fists relaxed and her head turn towards him, completely asleep. Slowly, he took her into his arms and huddled her to his side.

The rational part of his mind told him to leave her, that he would achieve nothing by postponing the inevitable. If everything went well, he would see her again, he would be able to embrace her again, to kiss her, to love her. His whole body wanted to hold her close to him until she woke up, to see those bright blue eyes light up when she saw him.

The clock struck eleven thirty and Petyr knew he could wait no longer. Reluctantly, he got up from her bed, found his clothes scattered all over the room and got dressed without taking his eyes off the redhead lying in front of him.

 

Soon all this would be over and he would be free at last, one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 4!
> 
> There's only one left! This one has been really hard to write emotionally speaking. Reflecting their thoughts and fears was really challenging. 
> 
> Enjoy the reading! I'd apreciate any feedback so thank you in advance!  
> You're awesome, because it's true :)
> 
> Tumblr: @quoyan11


	5. Summer storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end

                                                                            

 

The streets narrowed as he walked along. He advanced, in his small bubble, ignoring the different passers-by who walked around him. Couples, groups of friends, students, all were looking for a place to escape from the stifling heat that was sweeping over the city. Petyr didn't need to worry about that, no one could free him from the cold that ran through his veins.

There was no turning back. He couldn't afford to think about her. If he had to face Clegane, he had to do it with a cool head. A misstep could be his end if he wasn't careful. He knew Clegane was impulsive, but not as dumb as he wished everyone to believe. If he had been sent to arrest him, it must have been for a reason. 

The entrance to the park was closed, but that didn't stop him from breaking in easily. Slowly he crossed the endless garden that bordered the park until he reached the main street. Without any warning, he heard a rumble in the sky.

For a moment he thought that Clegane had set him up, attacking him earlier than he had anticipated. His heart calmed down a bit as he felt the wind rise and a flash of lightning illuminate the night sky. There was a storm coming.

He continued his course, reaching the lake area before than he had expected. To his left was the railing where he first saw Sansa a week ago.

_‘Don’t worry, she’s safe,’_ he tried to convince himself, _'you're doing this for her, you can't back out'_

When he reached the square he saw two shadows waiting for him. Clegane's unmistakable muscular profile turned his back on him while his other companion, a shorter man than Clegane, looked at him menacingly as soon as he entered his field of vision.

Great' he thought. Not only did he have to deal with a sack of muscles, but that psychopath had been sent to get him as well. Petyr cursed quietly and wondered what the hell he had done to deserve his fortune. Without showing his inner doubts, he looked at the two individuals with defiant eyes and smirked.

The sky announced a storm, but no one knew where the lightning would strike.

______________

 

_‘No, no, no, no, no, no, no....'_ Sansa jumped out of bed and her heart flipped when she saw that Petyr wasn't with her. She had the feeling that he was hiding something from her, but she couldn't imagine that he was going to leave her again.

He couldn't have left her, right? He couldn't have left her behind after everything they’ve been through. She fearfully turned her head to watch the clock. Midnight. She held her hands to her head and grunted in despair. _‘It's too late now'_

She lay back on the bed looking at the ceiling. She had to do something. She couldn't stay there. She was confused, confused by his lies, by his actions.

"I'm not leaving again, you hear me?" He had told her. Sansa would have laughed at his blatant hypocrisy had it not been for the fact that all she wanted at the time, was to curl up and cry until dawn.

She would never see him again, she would never touch him again, she would never see his green eyes or hold him in her arms and all because she hadn’t been able to stop him. _‘You're an idiot,'_ she said to herself. 

She was losing her temper. She had to do something.

_‘The sheets still smell of him,'_ Sansa closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't think about it now, but if she wasn't able to find him soon, this was all that was going to be left of him.

Sansa got out of bed again and started getting dressed. She then looked up at the bedside table where Petyr had left one of the books he had been peeking at. The book was about a man who had read so many chivalric romantic novels that he thought he was living in one. Sansa had always liked knights’ stories as a child, until the harsh reality made her see the truth. Not everything was as beautiful as the stories painted it.

Perhaps she was more similar to the main character of that story than she thought, she pondered. She felt that she had confused fantasy with reality and that's why she was in this situation. That was her mistake.

Sansa heard the door of the apartment's entrance open and ran to meet the newcomer. Perhaps Petyr had finally been true to his word and had returned for them to escape together. A glimmer of hope peered into her eyes as she imagined him walking through the door, his mossy eyes focused on her as he asked her to go with him to the end of the world.

All of her fantasies were shattered when she saw Jeyne, a little drunk, walk through the door with the help of a boy she didn't know. "What the...?"

"Sansa!" Her friend exclaimed, giving her a clumsy hug. Sansa held her in time to stop her wobbling and raised her eyebrows inquisitively. Jeyne ignored her silent question and asked her with a broad smile, "Where are you going dressed like that?"

Sansa blinked a couple of times at her friend. Her eyes drifted to assess Jeyne's companion to discern if she could leave them alone in their current state. The poor boy was leaning against the entrance wall, more focused on trying not to fall to the ground than on following the conversation that would decide his near future.

"I'm going out," she replied deciding she could leave them alone. The most likely outcome was that they would end up falling asleep as soon as they landed on the bed, not remembering anything the next morning.

“Stay!" her friend shouted, straightening up enough to escape her grip. She turned her head, smiling at her drunken companion and giggled, "The party is just beginning!   

Sansa would have yelled at her friend that it wasn't the best time to be drinking when Petyr was still missing. "Start without me," she said after calming down a bit. She wasn't going to get anywhere breaking down front of Jeyne. She had to get out of there and fast. She took her keys from the doorway and unlocked the doorway passing Jeyne's friend.

"Don't wait me for breakfast," she said without looking back before crossing the door’s threshold.

______________

 

"I don't understand why you called me to help you, Clegane, the idiot came alone!"

Petyr gritted his teeth. He didn't like the way the newcomer's eyes evaluated him. He reminded himself to appear harmless. He had come at the appointed time as Clegane had told him to. He just had to wait a little more keeping up his appearances before he could act.

"Ramsay, don't be hasty! The cunt could have come flying if he wanted to. Don’t underestimate him or you will be the idiot" Petyr was surprised to hear such cautious words coming out of the disfigured angel's mouth. Luckily or unfortunately, dealing with Ramsay was like dealing with wildfire, it could turn on you at any moment.

"Can’t you see him? He's not even armed!" His wormy lips formed a disturbing smile, "Where's the girl Baelish? I'd love to meet your new girlfriend"

"That's enough Ramsay!" Clegane intervened with the little patience he had left. 

"You promised me I'd take care of the girl" Petyr's heart began to beat faster after hearing Ramsay talk about Sansa. It was obvious that after their last encounter with Clegane they knew who the girl was. But from that to Ramsay touching even a hair on her head... _'She's safe, calm down. You just have to distract them somehow’_  

"She’s not important." Clegane's words fed the little hope he had that Sansa would come out of all this madness unscathed.

"But it's clearly important to him, look" The dark-haired boy's factions strained gauging his reaction. "Has our little Lord Baelish fallen in love?"

Petyr tried to school his face by ignoring the moronic angel "I don't want to offend you, but knowing what kind of little worm you are I'd love to know how you got her. Tell me, did she scream when you forced her to bent down? Or did she beg you to fuck her like the little bitch she is?"

" Ramsay!" Clegane shouted in vain.

_‘A little closer, just a little closer'_ Petyr's whole body was in tension, ready to escape with any at any distraction from his pursuers.

"Since it didn't cost us anything to get him here, let me play a little with him at least. You can do it too, if you want. A good puppy deserves a reward."

At that moment he didn't know who hated Ramsay the most, he or Clegane. His disfigured face had taken on an even more dangerous appearance than he had ever seen and he knew he had to act quickly.

"I'm sure she won't miss you when I find her," continued Ramsay, trying to provoke him, getting closer and closer, until his face was just inches away from him. "I'll make sure to personally break her until she forgets about your _'little finger'_. I don't think it's going to be difficult."

With a quick motion he removed the sword from Ramsay’s belt and immobilized him, placing the blade on his neck, ready to cut him. He only needed a small motion to slit Ramsay's throat and watch his pathetic life vanish from his eyes. He had no right to talk about Sansa like that. His knuckles whitened, holding the blade steady.

"Let me go and I won't," he finally said to Clegane.

"You know perfectly well I can't."

"I've served my time, going back to my cell won't solve things."

"Chaos and destruction are in your very essence. To let you go would be an unnecessary risk," Clegane insisted firmly, "We can't let anything like what happened with the White Walkers occur again”

Ramsay laughed in his arms. Petyr strengthened the grip on his neck and let the edge of his blade rub hard enough until a trickle of blood sprouted. "Stop bluffing and get on the pedestal before you make yourself look even more ridiculous"

Petyr kicked him in the leg and forced him to kneel, pulling his hair until he groaned. "If you're so convinced I'm bluffing, why are you shaking so much?" a hint of fear crossed his gaze fleetingly. Then Ramsay burst out laughing, ready to return the comment.

"You've always been weak, Littlefinger. You've never..." But Clegane's dagger finished the sentence for him. The dagger had gone right through his throat. Petyr let him go and saw a river of blood flowing from his mouth when he hit the ground.

_‘Farewell to my bluff'_ Petyr felt no pity for the young Bolton's inert body. He was certain that if Clegane hadn’t killed him, he would have, but he still had a slim chance of trying to negotiate with the boy's life.

He was a monster and Clegane obviously didn't like him very much, but his life was very valuable to other, more important people. Not enough for Clegane apparently. With a sneaky movement, he recovered the dagger stuck in the neck of the corpse and hid it clumsily under his sleeve, praying that Clegane wouldn’t have noticed. Petyr had never been good at handling weapons.

"I told you there would be consequences if you didn't come," said Clegane impassively. Ramsay's death was not an inconvenience to him to be honest, but rather a blessing to all mankind. _'No one threatens Sansa, especially not in front of me'_

Petyr moved away from Ramsay, hiding the dagger better in his sleeve. He stood in front of Clegane keeping his distance. He knew he could do nothing against him, much less after seeing the skill with which he had killed Ramsay.

"If you don't get on that pedestal on your own you'll be next." Petyr snorted at his threat. Seeing his face of disbelief Clegane added, "And after you I'll take care of your little friend myself" Petyr's face twitched for a second, about to explode with fury.

Clegane smiled at his reaction, "I don't understand why you're so interested in her, but I really don't care”

"Then tell me," said Petyr at last, pointing the sword at him, "If an angel can kill, why should I not be able to love?" He didn't mean for Clegane to understand, he just wanted him to shut up and stop talking about Sansa.

The disfigured angel laughed out loud, "I can't believe that little shit was right" said nodding towards Ramsay, "he was right. You're getting soft."

"What are you waiting for then?" Petyr challenged, grabbing the massive blade as best as he could.

"Fuck it," cursed Clegane. He drawn his sword, "You're not wasting my time anymore." Without warning, the angel charged him. Reacting in time, he stopped the first lunge and dodged the second.

His whole body was on alert. Every new move he made was more awkward than the one before. Clegane was much stronger than he was, this wouldn't last long. His eyes wavered in the direction of the pedestal. It was still a little far, but if he could get a little closer....

 

______________

 

The entrance to the park was rapidly approaching at the rhythm of her strides. Sansa slowed down a bit and began to look for a place to enter the enclosure.

_‘It must be around here'_ she thought, touching the fence. Where was the entrance she had snuck through last time? There must be some nook and cranny or something that could help her get through the gate.

Thunder rang in the sky. Sansa looked up at the same time a drop fell on her face. ‘ _Summer storm, great'_ .It was like the sky was trying to send her a message, the message that she was late....

Sansa shook her head and tried to calm down. Something told her Petyr was still alive. She couldn't give up. She reached into his pocket until she found what she was looking for. She skillfully folded both hairpins into the lock on the park door and started working.

The lock was a little rusty, but as it was a small door it only took a couple of minutes to force it. Sansa smiled, ' _Arya would be proud of me'_ who is the boring sister now?

"Hey! What are you doing? Stop it!"

‘ _Shit'_ Sansa cursed and opened the door quickly. The security guard tried to open it behind her unsuccessfully. Sansa had blocked it with the hairpins. Taking advantage of the distraction, she ran.

She was getting closer and closer to Petyr. She could feel it. The beat of her heart rumbled in her head, with each stride she went deeper into the park. She was basically running for her life. _‘His life,’_ Sansa saw the lake and knew she was close.

‘ _Please, Petyr, hold on a little longer, just a little longer...’_

 ______________

 

He extended the palm of his hands in time to stop his fall. Petyr raised his head and saw a monstrous figure hovering over him. It was like being back in the duel with Brandon Stark.

_‘This is not going to end the same way,'_ he thought as he staggered to his feet. He had to hold on to the edge of the fountain to avoid falling again. They were getting closer and closer to the pedestal, where his statue had been. A little more and Clegane would have him cornered. _‘Perfect'_

It seemed like Clegane's patience was running out. His lunges were getting stronger and reckless, pushing him further and further back. He leaned his back on the stone at the last minute to stop Clegane's strike.

His whole body trembled with the hit. The wet pavement and the incessant rain didn't help much either. Taking advantage of his little hesitation, Clegane punched him right in the face with his fist.

Petyr shook his head trying to get rid of the unpleasant ringing in his ears. Clegane charged at him. He tried to get out of the way, but he couldn't avoid his last lunge. The blade of his sword split horizontally over his abdomen and Petyr could do nothing but scream. Screaming in pain, in pain for failing her. He wouldn't look down. He didn't want to see the severity of his injury. He only kept moving forward with a steady step toward the pedestal, one step after another.

Clegane knew he was finished. He didn't even try to stop him. Once he gets on the pedestal, he'll go back to prison and all this madness will be over. A step caused him to stumble and collide with the ground.

"You shouldn't have run away," he heard Clegane say, "look how you ended up, the rules were clear. You could go out once a month, just once, but on the condition that you return" Petyr knew his words made some sense, but he was too far away to understand them. He continued his way, crawling with his hands, inch by inch.

He felt two rough hands wrapped around his shoulders from behind and lifted him from the ground. "A couple of steps and you won't be my problem anymore." It was true. Petyr grabbed the handle of Clegane's dagger tightly and plunged it into Clegane's belly with all his strength. Before the angel could react he twisted the handle causing a howl from him.

Clegane bent over trying to suppress his screams. With a quick motion, he grabbed the sturdy angel by the collar of his jacket and pushed him forward. A ray of light blurred his vision as Clegane entered the pedestal, his former prison.

The last thing he remembered before closing his eyes was the silhouette of the stone angel looking down on the pedestal. Crouched in a grimace of pain.

_‘It was over…’_

______________

 

"Petyr, wake up! Please wake up!" No, it must have been a dream. Sansa couldn't be with him, she was asleep, safe and not under the rain at midnight in a park. But the arms that shook him in despair said otherwise.

His savior's head must have settled on her chest, as the strawberry fragrance of her hair flooded his nostrils. _‘Sansa'_ he recognized instantly. So it was true, it was her. He wasn't hallucinating.

"Petyr I'm here" she sobbed in his chest, "please tell me I'm not late"

Petyr raised his hand and placed it on top of his head. Sansa looked up and her eyes met his. Ice blue and mossy green met again and he knew everything was going to be all right. Sansa moved and cradled his cheek. The words stuck in her throat, not being able to express the relief and joy she felt at seeing him.

Petyr noticed her trouble passing through her eyes. He would have smirked had it not been for the pain he felt through his abdomen. "I love you," he finally said.

"I love you, Petyr" she replied with a warm smile. She bent down to kiss him and it was the best feeling he had ever experienced.

"What happened here?" intervened a new voice.

Sansa turned in alarm at the unexpected interruption, but calmed down at the sight of the newcomer, a skinny man with a badge accrediting him as a security guard.

"Call an ambulance! Quickly!" Sansa ordered without explanation. The man startled, but obeyed without hesitation after seeing Petyr lying on the ground.

"Don't worry, everything will be all right," she assured him by squeezing his hand affectionately.

"I know," he replied, turning his gaze to the statue. Sansa followed his eyes and understood, “It’s over”

"I told you I wasn't going anywhere."

Clegane had taken his place in prison and he was finally free. No more sleepless nights, no more nightmares. From now on the only angel he wanted to be with for the rest of his life was by his side and he would not let her escape.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Chapter 5! 
> 
> This has been a really challenging story, I hope you like the ending.  
> Thank you very much to all of you who have read this story to the end and have left kudos and comments! It really helps. 
> 
> I'll try to focus more on my other fic from now on (Timing) and I'll start writing another one (If you follow me on Tumblr you'll know what I'm talking about)
> 
> PS:After Petyr's death in the show, he's resurrected as a wight and helps the Night King with his army, that's what Clegane was talking about (I thought I'd be a good idea to add Idk it just fits)  
> PS: I'm wondering if any of you is capable of guessing which book was Sansa talikg about in this chapter. I dare you :) (especially you literature nerds) (I'm sorry if I sound weird, is late and I need to sleep)
> 
> Tumblr: @quoyan11


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